Betsy BOUSQUET Fisher

Métis culture is a mixture of cultures of the First Nations and French Canada. The Métis are known for fiddle playing, but traditional Métis instruments also include the concertina, the harmonica, and the hand drum. Fiddle is often accompanied by a form of dancing referred to as jigging. Traditionally, dancing included such moves as the Waltz Quadrille, the Square dance, Drops of Brandy, the Duck, La Double Gigue and the Red River Jig.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (The RCMP) Musical Ride may have been inspired by the Métis practice of exercising their horses to the music of the jig and square dance. In the evenings after buffalo hunts, the Métis exercised their horses to music in the fashion of a square dance while the fiddler played quadrilles (a square dance still performed by Métis dancers). Their skilled horsemanship was easily adapted for bronc busting, calf roping and range riding, skills put to use in the development of ranches in the west.

As Métis culture developed, a new language called Michif emerged. This language was a result of the combining of French nouns and Cree verbs. Though a distinct language, it is now spoken by only about 1,000.

Of the clothing worn by Métis in the 19th century, the sash or Ceinture fléchée is probably the most common today. It is traditionally roughly three metres in length and is made of finger-woven yarn. The sash is worn around the waist, tied in the middle, with the fringed ends hanging. Vests with characteristic Métis figurative beadwork are also popular. The Red River Coat is historically recognized as coming from the Métis culture.

The Métis figured prominently in the history of Canada, having been very valuable and indispensable fur traders, voyageurs (coureur des bois), frontiersmen, pioneers, and middlemen who communicated between the First Nations peoples and the European settlers and colonialists. Well known for their tracking, guiding, and interpretive skills, Métis were often employed by the North-West Mounted Police, as they are today by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Their large early contribution to Canada's evolution and formation as a nation has often been underestimated or downplayed by historians.

Métis people took traditions from both of their parents and developed a culture of their own. In recent times, some believe that the European elements have taken prominence, as racial discrimination against the Métis population lead many to hide their ethnicity and assimilate into Canadian society[citation needed].